Japanese musicians under contract with Sony Corp and other labels that haven't joined Apple's iTunes Music Store are starting to defy their recording companies and trying to get their music on the popular download service launched last week in Japan.
At least one artist has already gone against his label to offer his songs on iTunes. And a major agency that manages Japanese musicians said yesterday that it was interested in a possible deal with Apple Computer Inc, regardless of the recording companies' positions.
Online music stores had not taken off in Japan until iTune's arrival last Thursday, which opened with a million songs from 15 Japanese record labels.
In just four days, customers downloaded 1 million songs -- the fastest pace for the service's launch in any of the 20 nations it's become available, including the US. Most songs cost ?150 (US$1.35) to download, and only 10 percent cost ?200.
But Sony's music division hasn't signed up to join Apple's service.
The two companies have emerged as major rivals in the portable music player business. Apple's iPod music player, which stores music on a hard drive, has hurt Sony, which its own Network Walkman, some of which have hard drives.
Sony Music Entertainment and Apple say they're in talks but there's been no agreement.
But wayward artists could just start averting the issue and opt to offer their music to iTunes.
Rock musician Motoharu Sano, who has a recording contract with Sony, is making some of his songs available on iTunes, according to his official Web page.
"It is an individual's freedom where that person chooses to listen to music. I want to deliver my music wherever my listeners are," Sano was quoted as saying by Japan's top business daily Nihon Keizai Shimbun yesterday.
Amuse Inc, an agent for some of Japan's most popular artists, is also thinking about joining iTunes. The company, which pushes musicians signed not only with Sony but also others, had initially decided against signing with iTunes.
"But we are considering joining in the future," Amuse spokeswoman Kyoko Ijichi said yesterday. "We want to do what users want."
Eddy Cue, Apple vice president of applications, acknowledged earlier this week that more work is needed to sign additional record companies for the Japanese service.
Tokyo-based recording company Victor Entertainment spokesman Yoshiaki Aoki said yesterday talks are still continuing with Apple, but stressed he is interested in a deal.
Still, iTunes' popularity in Japan has been stunning. The publicity campaign, including a personal appearance by chief executive Steve Jobs, has grabbed media attention here.
Before iTunes' arrival, Japan's top music download service, which is backed by Sony and includes Sony recording artists, averaged about 450,000 downloads a month.
By offering its service for lower prices, Apple is undercutting such online music services. Japanese are accustomed to paying twice as much as Apple is charging in Japan, which are still higher than the US0.99 charged in the US.
Apple has sold 21.8 million iPods worldwide since October 2001, and more than 500 million songs through its iTunes Music Store.
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